I only saw them once, but it was a good time to see them: January, 1974, on the tour which was eventually recorded on Before_the_Flood. It was an awesome show - everyone was in top form that night!
RIP Levon! 
They always leave us in threes. Dick Clark, Greg Ham, and now Levon Helm.
R.I.P. Levon
I’m loving what people are saying in tribute to him.
“Levon Helm, who helped forge a deep-rooted American music as the drummer and singer for the Band […] In Mr. Helm’s drumming, muscle, swing, economy and finesse were inseparably merged. […] Mr. Helm was the American linchpin of the otherwise Canadian group that became Bob Dylan’s backup band and then the Band. Its own songs — largely written by the Band’s guitarist, Jaime Robbie Robertson, and pianist, Richard Manuel — spring from roadhouse, church, backwoods, river and farm; they are rock-ribbed with history and tradition yet hauntingly surreal. […] Mr. Helm’s drumming valued space over showiness. He gave his drums a muffled, bottom-heavy sound that placed them in the foundation of the arrangements, and his tom-toms were tuned so that their pitch would bend downward as the tone faded.”
-Jon Pareles for the New York Times
“With songs like “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “The Weight” and “Up on Cripple Creek,” The Band fused rock, blues, folk and gospel to create a sound that seemed as authentically American as a Mathew Brady photograph or a Mark Twain short story. In truth, the group had only one American - Levon Helm. […] In some ways, The Band was the closest this country ever came to the camaraderie and achievement of the Beatles. Each of the five members brought special talents that through years of touring, recording and living together blended into a unique sound.”
-Michael Hill for the AP
Love and farewell, Levon…
This says it all, I think. Time to watch The Last Waltz again, I think.
RIP Levon.
My favorite rock drummer, and an inspiration since I was a teen. I loved Levon a lot. Very sad. 
I had a weird coincidence/synchronicity with this today. I hadn’t heard about Helm being sick or his death. Earlier today I was at home and for some reason began thinking about The Band and started singing “The Weight” to myself. About 30 min. later I was in the car and heard about his death.
One of his songs (“Single Girl” from Dirt Farmer) came up on random on my iTunes while I was posting about him earlier.
“I just need some place where I can lay my head.”
Rest in peace, Levon.
Nice, kirk1168.
Q
“Why do the best things always disappear?” Thank you, Mr. Helm.
No, Levon was a little more like, “…lay my hey-yey-ed.”
NPR played part of The Weight when they reported. They faded on, “Hey Mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?”
I was glad to see that Robbie made a pilgrimage to his beside. RIP, Levon.
Alvin Tostig lost a son today…
This is a great loss. Such a voice of mythology, southern and otherwise, and history and music.
There’s not much to say when one of the greatest departs except, thank you, Mr. Helm.
“Discovered” Them watching the Last Waltz… around 1982… my dad comes downstairs and says… yeah that’s Levon with Paul Butterfield… we used to live down the street from Butterfield in Chicago…
WOW… “Mystery Train” on the Last Waltz… Cripple Creek… what a voice… what a presence… that’s the loss of a direct link… like losing history… what makes us us… Might have been the only black kid on the southside of Chicago rockin “Orphelia” but I could careless…
From Paste: 54 Musicians Remember Levon Helm.